Cirque du Soleil - OVO

OVO in N Charleston This Weekend

The family and I were invited to attend opening night for OVO by Cirque du Soleil in North Charleston last night. The kid is a gymnast and a dancer, so this opportunity was up her alley. I was honestly a bit worried the teen would be "eh" about the whole thing. Oh, was I so wrong! Both kids (and both adults) were blown away by the mesmerizing and really fun show. This was our first Cirque du Soleil show, but it will not be our last!

My Readers Save $10 off on select tickets to OVO from Cirque du Soleil by using promo code: OVO10

Fascinated from the minute we walked into the coliseum, we were greeted by the sound of bugs chirping and buzzing and the sight of a giant egg in the middle of the stage. The set is simple yet so complex with hidden treasures that appear through beautiful costumes, video, effects and of course, the performers. The music is beautiful and goes from soft, almost hypnotic to lively and energetic, helping tell the story from beginning to end. The costumes were gorgeous and so colorful and creative.

"OVO is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. The insects’ home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion. When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. It’s love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye—and the feeling is mutual. OVO is overflowing with contrasts. The hidden, secret world at our feet is revealed as tender and torrid, noisy and quiet, peaceful and chaotic. And as the sun rises on a bright new day the vibrant cycle of insect life begins anew." -Description by Cirque du Soleil

One of the biggest surprises for me was how much we all enjoyed the characters, "The Ladybug", "The Foreigner" (who arrives with the mysterious egg), and "Master Flipo" (chief the insect community). While they spoke almost no words, communicating to each other and to the audience to tell their story through exaggerated movements and noises, they were highly entertaining, endearing and really, really funny!

When I hear "Cirque du Soleil", I think amazing acrobatic and aerial performances. I've heard about them for years. But seeing it in person was stunning. I found myself looking to the kids often to catch their reactions. There were lots of mouths hanging open, giant smiles and very wide eyes!

Some of our favorite acts were the ants, the "dude on the hoop" (I don't know if it's a girl or a guy), the human trapeze and the big finale, the "Wall". Not that the others weren't all amazing on their own.

The kids loved the ants in the first act. They spin, flip and kinda juggle things on their feet, like kiwi, corn of the cob and EACH OTHER!

The "dude on the hoop" as the kid kept calling him was just that. It a beautiful aerial performance by an acrobat using a hoop.

The "human trapeze" in the second act was my personal favorite. (I'm convinced my sister and I were meant to be trapeze artists, and we really did swing on a trapeze as kids in my dad's back yard.) The strength, agility, grace and TRUST by the performers was phenomenal.

Then "the Wall". Wow. The actual wall is 64 feet wide by 30 feet tall. It's used throughout the show and is a giant projection surface that seems to flow with beautiful pictures to create scenery. Well, there's also holds all over it that performers climb and utilize. And there are two BIG trampolines in front of it and air mats. Towards the end of the second act, the crickets and I believe spiders perform a jaw dropping series of stunts and feats. The whole act lasts about 5-7 minutes where you don't want to blink, because you don't want to miss anything! The drops, jumps, flips and flying is incredible! And also prompted quite the "you may not try this at home or at that gym" speech on the way home.

The teen declared OVO "ten outta ten!" which is an award he does not hand out lightly. The kid loved every second of it. Both kids and the husband are already searching to see where other shows are and how soon we can go to another Cirque du Soleil performance. It was truly a night we will all always remember!

Go! Take the kids! It's worth every single penny and every second of the drive. Don't miss this classic Cirque du Soleil production that has thrilled more than 5 million people around the world. My Readers Save $10 off on select tickets to OVO from Cirque du Soleil by using promo code: OVO10